Syria's Assad will remain in office: minister

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gives an interview with Venezuelan television station TeleSUR in Damascus, in a picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency on September 25, 2013
(SANA/AFP/File)

Damascus (AFP) – Syria's President Bashar al-Assad will remain in office, and has the right to decide to run for reelection next year, Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said on Tuesday.

"Syria is staying put: the state, the nation, the people and the president. This is the Syrians' choice," Zohbi told journalists.

"All the people call for President Bashar al-Assad to be president of this state, whatever the opposition, the Americans and the traitors say," he added.